Advocates For Human Rights

1. Briefly explain your organization and the general work done there.
The Advocates for Human Rights is a non-profit organization dedicated to
promoting and protecting human rights. 
Through cutting-edge research, education, and advocacy, The Advocates
saves lives, fights injustice, restores peace,
and builds the human rights movement in the United States and around the
world. 
2. What social issues does your organization address?
The Advocates for Human Rights helps individuals fully realize their human
rights in the United States and around the world. For over 25 years, The
Advocates’ innovative programming has touched the lives of refugees and
immigrants, women, ethnic and religious minorities, children, and other
marginalized communities whose rights are at risk. The Advocates
strengthens accountability mechanisms, raises awareness, and fosters
tolerance. Adapting traditional human rights methodologies to conduct
cutting-edge research, The Advocates has produced 75 reports documenting
human rights practices in 25 countries. See:
http://www.theadvocatesforhumanrights.org/Our_Programs.html for more
information
3. How are volunteers/interns involved in your organization?
The Advocates for Human Rights is a volunteer-based organization. As such,
it relies upon hundreds of volunteers – teachers, lawyers, artists, students,
doctors, and community leaders – who generously share their time, energy,
and expertise each year. The Advocates for Human Rights also accepts
interns for the spring, summer, fall, and shorter terms (months of August,
December/January, and May) in each of its different programs.
4. What do you ask of volunteers/interns in terms of time, flexibility and
commitment?
Interns play an integral role by assisting with activities such as research,
writing, client service, media development, translation, or event planning as
well as administrative tasks in our projects and programs. Interns are asked
to commit 8-12 hours per week (during the school year) or 20-40 hours per
week (during summer).  All volunteer positions are filled on an as-need
basis. The Advocates internships do not offer financial compensation nor
assistance with housing or transportation.

Interns should thoroughly review The Advocates’ website and understand

the different program areas before applying for an internship. Interns are
asked to submit a resume, writing sample, and a completed internship
application form (available on the website) by the internship deadline listed.
We have fall, spring and summer internships that roughly follow school
calendars.In Addition: we seek interns for the month of mid-December to
mid-January and for the month of August. Interns can apply for these
internships specifically or extend them onto a fall, spring, or summer
 internship. If an intern is able to extend his or her internship, please note this
on the application form. Internship applications are accepted on a rolling
basis up until the deadline. Again, each program has its own internship
deadlines; please check each internship description below to learn exact
deadlines.

Interns applying for an outside fellowship (i.e. he or she will have a source

of outside funding while you intern at The Advocates) through their school or
a fellowship program, such as the Upper Midwest Human Rights Fellowship
or Equal Justice Works, must submit your application materials to The
Advocates at least 4 weeks in advance of the deadline for the fellowship
application. For example, if the fellowship application deadline is February
15th, then the prospective intern must have their application submitted to
The Advocates by January 15th. If you are applying for a fellowship, please
use the application form and note that you applying for a fellowship, both on
the application and in the subject line of the email you send submitting your
application. Proposed fellowships must be directly related to The Advocates'
program areas. For more information see:
http://www.theadvocatesforhumanrights.org/Internships_and_Fellowships.
html

5. What skills do you look for in volunteers/interns?

The skills The Advocates looks for in volunteers/interns varies, but in

general, we seek interns with strong research, writing and analytical skills;
an ability to work independently and as part of a team; be self-directed;
professionalism and good interpersonal skills; strong organizational and
leadership skills; sensitivity to diverse cultures; detail-oriented; able to meet
deadlines; proficiency in a second language, such as Spanish, French,
Amharic, Somali, and; a commitment and interest in human rights.